1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hold down mechanisms and more particularly to a novel hold down latch apparatus for relieving spring tension or pressure from a follower utilized in an ammunition magazine during an ammunition loading procedure so that the user's hands are free to perform the loading operation.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It has been a conventional practice in the arms field to load a plurality of individual bullets into a receiving cavity provided in a magazine which is subsequently put into a firearm intended to be fired. A conventional magazine employs a hollow housing having a follower slidably disposed therein which is normally biased towards an open end by an expanding spring. A slot in the side of the housing accommodates passage of a button fastened to the follower so that the user may depress the follower against the spring bias by placing his thumb on the button and manually forcing the follower against the spring tension. An alternate procedure would be to introduce the ammunition one bullet at a time through the recess into contact with the follower and force the follower against the bias of the spring. In actual practice, a combination of the two above procedures is generally employed.
Difficulties and problems arise when performing a loading operation which stem largely from the fact that the user's thumb is forced against the button which causes discomfort and, in some instances, a sensation of pain as the button is forced against the tension of the spring biasing the follower.
Furthermore, it is sometimes necessary for cleaning and maintenance purposes to remove the button from the follower and such a procedure is awkward to perform where the follower is encased by the housing and limited access is gained to the follower for hold down purposes.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a hold down mechanism for restraining the spring loaded follower in a position so that ammunition may be readily loaded into the magazine without the necessity of the user employing his thumb for forcibly urging the buttoned follower against its spring tension.